Scottish Executive

Art

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on commissioning new art when it commissions new capital projects.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive does not have prescribed policy for commissioning new art when it commissions new capital projects. Art work is considered on a case-by-case basis.

Community Safety

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to continue the Community Safety Partnership Award Programme beyond 2005.

Hugh Henry: Following ministers’ decisions taken in the spending review for 2004, I can confirm that we propose to continue the Community Safety Partnership Award Programme beyond 2005. The award criteria are currently under review and partnerships will be notified of the arrangements for future years in due course.

Drug Misuse

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9485 by Hugh Henry on 28 July 2004, how many drug-related deaths there were in 2003 (a) broken down by NHS board area and (b) in total.

Hugh Henry: There were 317 drug-related deaths in 2003, compared to 382 in 2002. A breakdown by NHS board is as follows:

  

NHS Board Area
Number


Argyll and Clyde
27


Ayrshire and Arran
19


Borders
 2


Dumfries and Galloway
 9


Fife
12


Forth Valley
12


Grampian
37


Greater Glasgow
107 


Highland
7


Lanarkshire
25


Lothian
40


Tayside
19


Western Isles
1


Orkney
0


Shetland
0


Scotland Total
317

Housing

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the allocation procedures for rural housing associations.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2O-3196 on 16 September 2004, which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many safeguarders there have been in each sheriff court area in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: The information in the format requested is not held centrally. Sheriff Clerks do however retain lists of safeguarders and the current number of safeguarders is given in the following table.

  

Court
Number
Court
Number


Aberdeen
23
Kirkwall
9


Airdrie
13
Lanark
6


Alloa
7
Lerwick
4


Arbroath
4
Livingston
10


Ayr
11
Lochmaddy
3


Banff
5
Oban
6


Campbeltown
6
Paisley
14


Cupar
9
Peebles
7


Dingwall
6
Perth
2


Dornoch
6
Peterhead
13


Dumbarton
22
Portree
9


Dumfries
11
Rothesay
6


Dundee
7
Selkirk
7


Dunfermline
9
Stirling
7


Dunoon
6
Stonehaven
13


Duns
7
Stornoway
3


Edinburgh
12
Stranraer
2


Elgin
13
Tain
6


Falkirk
6
Wick
6


Forfar
8


Fort William
9


Glasgow
4


Greenock
9


Haddington
5


Hamilton
26


Inverness
9


Jedburgh
7


Kilmarnock
21


Kirkcaldy
9


Kirkcudbright
3

Justice

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on the recovery of fines in each of the last five financial years and in the current financial year.

Cathy Jamieson: Fines recovery is carried out by the Scottish Court Service in relation to fines imposed in the High Court and Sheriff Courts and by local authorities in relation to other fines. Expenditure is also incurred by the police, who are often involved in the recovery process and the legal aid budget if the accused is represented or advised at any stage in the recovery process. Specific expenditure relating to these activities falls to be covered by wider budgets administered by each of the authorities concerned. As such the information requested, relating to the total level of expenditure incurred in the recovery of fines, is not available in the format requested.

Licensing

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider reviewing the licensing of lap dancing clubs in light of the findings of the research carried out by Julie Bindel of the London Metropolitan University and commissioned by Glasgow City Council, Profitable Exploits: Lap Dancing in the UK .

Hugh Henry: We are considering the regulation of lap dancing in alcohol licensed premises in the context of the review of the liquor licensing legislation.

NHS Hospitals

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to meet staff associations at the Queen Mother’s Hospital in Glasgow to address any on-going concerns over the proposed closure by NHS Greater Glasgow.

Mr Andy Kerr: I expect NHS Greater Glasgow to address concerns raised by staff on any aspects of their proposals for maternity services.

Pensioners

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pensioners in (a) each local authority and (b) total were defined as living in poverty in each of the last five years, expressed also as a percentage of the pensioner population and giving the percentage change on a year-on-year basis.

Malcolm Chisholm: The table presents the number and proportions of persons living in low-income in Scotland in each of the last five years. Estimates are available at Scotland level only, not by local authority area.

  Proportion and Number of Pensioners in Low-Income Households, Below 60% of GB Median Income, Scotland (Thousands)

  

 
Year
 
Absolute
Relative


Before Housing
After Housing
Before Housing
After Housing


Costs
Costs
Costs
Costs


%
Numbers
%
Numbers
%
Numbers
%
Numbers


1998-99
17
150 
23
200
21
180
26
230


1999-2000
18
160
21
180
22
200
26
230


2000-01
14
120
14
130
20
180
24
210


2001-02
10
90
 9
80
18
160
20
170 


2002-03
10
 90
 8 
 80
20
180
21
190



  The key low-income results, above, are for 60% of both the relative and absolute median thresholds. Estimates on the full range of income thresholds and explanation of how these estimates are calculated are published in Households Below Average Income, 1994/95 – 2002/03, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 32212).

  The relative low-income measure compares against the median in the same year. The absolute measure compares against the median in the baseline year of 1996-97. Both areas are uprated to remove the effects of inflation.

  The figures are estimates based on a sample survey and are therefore subject to sampling variation. As such, small percentage changes are not significant when considered on a year-on-year basis; identification of trends should be based on several years of data.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many positive mandatory drug tests there were in (a) open and (b) closed prisons in each of the last 10 years, broken down by drug type.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Drug testing was introduced in the Scottish Prison Service in 1996. Results are published on an annual basis in the Drugs Misuse Statistics Scotland bulletin produced by the Information and Statistics Division of the Scottish Executive. This information is available at:

  www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org and includes:

  drugs detected by urine testing at reception into custody;

  Mandatory Drug Testing results (which includes breakdown per prison and by drug type), and

  drug treatment in prisons.

Public Consultation

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public surveys have been conducted by outside agencies in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) topic, (b) agency or organisation contracted to carry out each survey and (c) cost to the Executive.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information on public surveys you requested has been collated from individual Departments as historical records show. Systems have been in place since 2003 to collate this information centrally.

  

Year
Topic
Contractor(s)
Cost


2004-05
Investment Priorities for Scottish Water: Research into Customer Views
MORI Scotland
£102,000


Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2004 Module on Environmental Incivilities
Scottish Centre for Social Research, Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) and MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit (SPHSU)
£55,000


Investigation into the Relationships between Community Cohesion and the Update of Rural Development Opportunities
Scottish Agricultural College
£94,808


Well? What do you think? (Part 2). The second national Scottish survey of public attitudes to mental health, well being and mental health problems.
MORI
£87,700


Scottish Social Attitudes Survey: Module on Perceptions of Young People and Crime
Scottish Centre for Social Research 
£52,500


Research Supporting Consultation on MacInnes Committee Report
Market Research UK
£20,651


2004-05
Research Supporting Second Order Consultation: MacInnes Committee
George Street Research
£34,495


Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey 2004
BMRB
£1,323,430


Scottish Social Attitudes Survey Core Module
Scottish Centre for Social Research
£145,500


Assessing the Effectiveness of Variable Messaging Signs for Beach Users
Market Research UK
£18,200


Credit Union Membership Survey
GEN Consulting
£57,107


Scottish Household Survey
MORI/TNS
£850,000


SE Central Heating Programme: Assessing Impact on Fuel Poverty
Alembic Research
£49,210


Public perceptions of travel awareness Phase III
TNS Consulting
£21,000


Evaluation of the 2003 Christmas drink drive campaign
Market Research
£32,500


Evaluation of home zones in Scotland: Phases 3 & 4
Land Use Consultants
£58,320


Bus Passenger satisfaction survey 2003-2006
Colin Buchanan & Partners
£59,590


Integrated ticketing in Scotland
TNS Consulting
£99,300


Anti-social behaviour on buses
George Street Research
£42,280


2003-04
Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2003: Module on Access to Commercial and Public Services
Scottish Centre for Social Research
£18,000


Public Perceptions of Food and Farming in Scotland
Market Research UK
£92,000


Participatory Investigation into Public Involvement in the Environmental Planning Process: A Case Study Approach
Scottish Agricultural College
£60,600


Exploring the Market Niche for Sustainable Nature-Based Tourism in Scotland
Scottish Agricultural College
£72,017


Scottish Health Survey
Scottish Centre for Social Research
£1,149,000


2003-04
Parents Access To and Demand for Childcare Survey
DTZ Pieda
£96,500


Scottish Crime Survey 2003
MORI/TNS
£446,500


Evaluation of the Scottish Executive Website
BMRB Social Research
£12,250


Bathing Water Use in Scotland 
NFO System 3
£17,000


Public Attitudes to the NHS in Scotland
NOP Social and Political
£79,600


Assessing Legal Need in Community Legal Service Partnerships
Market Research UK
£123,000


Scottish Household Survey
MORI/TNS
£850,000


SE Central Heating Programme: Assessing Impact on Fuel Poverty
Alembic Research
£49,210


2002-03
Public Attitudes to the Environment in Scotland: 2002 Survey
George Street Research
£145,000


Public Awareness and Understanding of SEPA
NFO System Three
£9,120


Well? What do you think? A National Scottish Survey of Public Attitudes to Mental Health, Well Being and Mental Health Problems (2002)
NOP Social and Political
£91,063


Parents Views about Sure Start Scotland
Market Research UK
£11,721


Stalking and Harassment in Scotland
NFO System Three
£69,501


Racist Crime and Victimisation in Scotland
University of Dundee
£39,011


Public Attitudes to Windfarms 2002
MORI Scotland
£26,500


Scottish Household Survey
MORI/TNS
£850,000


SE Central Heating Programme: Assessing Impact on Fuel Poverty
Alembic Research
£49,210


Attitudes to transport in Scotland: Scottish social attitudes survey 2002 module
NCSR
£46,000


The speeding driver, who, how and why
TRL Ltd
£68,000


Evaluation of the drug driving television advert
TNS Consulting
£37,400


Parental attitudes to road safety education
ODS Ltd
£79,825


2002-03
Barriers to Modal Shift
Derek Holden Consultants
£29,800


Bus passenger satisfaction survey
Colin Buchanan & Partners
£41,456


Concessionary fares extension to males aged 60-64
Accent Marketing
£14,236


2001-02
Managing Radioactive Waste Safely: Awareness and Attitudes of the Scottish Public
Scottish Opinion Ltd
£8,107


2000-01
Scottish Crime Survey 2000
MVA Ltd
£330,471


NHS in Scotland Public Attitudes Survey
MORI/System Three
£55,000


Public Attitudes to Windfarms
System Three
£10,434

Public Sector Staff

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for reducing employee numbers in the (a) Civil Service and (b) public sector in each year from 2004-05 to 2007-08.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive is determined to secure operational efficiency in the Civil Service and public sector through ensuring that public servants are in the right job, at the right time and the right place.

  Targets which seek a reduction in employee numbers would play no useful part in this.

Sex Offenders

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many offenders who have been on the sex offenders’ register but have not been sentenced to a period of imprisonment have reoffended within a period of (a) six months, (b) one year and (c) two years in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: Offenders on a sex offenders register cannot be separately identified in the convictions data held on the Scottish Executive Justice Department court proceedings statistical database. Police Force Record Offices operate a variety of recording systems for monitoring and maintaining information on registered sex offenders locally but data from these operational systems cannot be readily extracted for statistical purposes.

Sex Offenders

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners who have been placed on the sex offenders’ register and released on licence have reoffended within (a) six months, (b) one year and (c) two years of release in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: The information requested cannot be provided from the information held centrally.

  The available data on the number of persons released on licence from a determinate custodial sentence who were recalled to prison because they faced charges of a sexual nature is given in the following table.

  Number of Persons Recalled to Custody and not Subsequently Released Where Facing Charges of a Sexual Nature

  

Year
Non-Parole Licensees
Parole Licensees
Total


1999
4
1
5


2000
2
0
2


2001
1
0
1


2002
2
0
2


2003
2
0
2



  Source: Parole Board Annual Reports.

  Further information on reoffending by convicted sex offenders is contained in a published Scottish Prison Service research monograph, Sexual offending in Scottish Prisons: some preliminary data on risk and recidivism a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 33996).